TJM aftermath
by puccaxgaru4eva1
Summary: Post TMJ. Will  Arnold ever come to his feelings about a certain blond-haired girl?
1. You LOVE HER!

"So let me get this straight, Arnold, you and Helga kissed?" said a african-american 4th grader pacing the room of his football headed best friends' room, a week after a certain field trip, to a certain jungle, on a certain quest to find one's parents.

The football headed ten-year old hesitated. "Um, yeah, I kind of kissed her, but mostly yeah."

"Yeah, I know, I saw everything!" Gerald grimaced. Can't help but remember his best friend almost swallowing the girl that claimed she 'hated' him for years!

"I mean," Gerald continued. "You practically dipped her back, and shoved your tongue down her throat!"

Arnold blushed. "I-I-I did n-not!"

Gerald raised an eyebrow, "By the way you're stuttering, tells me that you're lying."

Gerald paced to the left.

Arnold could do only nothing as he watched his best friend struggle to comprehend all of this. "Look Gerald, I know it seems weird that I kissed her but-"

Gerald turned around, like he'd been shot. "WEIRD? Arnold, this whole situation is 9-yards past weird! Since when do you have feelings for Helga G. Pataki?"

Arnold looked absently into space, and with a love-sick smile, dazedly replied, "Since I found out how brave, intelligent, poetic, selfless, beautiful, and caring she is."

Gerald froze, choosing to stay silent.

The blond-headed boy went on. "She's nice and mean, she's soft and hard. I've gotten to know the real her Gerald, under that hard, rough exterior, is a soft mushy center. She's-" He paused searching to find the right word to describe her, "amazing."

If Gerald's jaw could have dropped any further, it would have fallen off.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments.

"So," Arnold cleared his throat coming out of his daze, "Did I bring too much on you man?"

Gerald rubbed his arm, "N-no man, I'm good. So um-" He cleared his throat. "Do you like her, like her?"

The question hit Arnold like a ton of bricks. He did didn't he? It was hard to tell.

He knew he suddenly had strong feelings for her, but for some reason 'like like' didn't seem to describe his feelings. When he saw her butterflies came to his stomach, ever since a week ago, she's the only thing that been on his mind. He thought of her as a complete angel sent to him from above. And considering the fact he knows she loves him, by the way she blurted out her feelings on the FTi building.

Arnold had come to a decision on how he felt.

"Well I-" He started, "I-" Nervously, he started rubbing the back of his head, avoiding the contact of Gerald.

"You?" Gerald persuaded him to go on.

"I think I'm in love with her."

Somewhere else across town, Helga G. Pataki, layed comfortably, on some pillows on her bed, doing nothing more but writing down the past events from this week.

_Dear Diary,  
I haven't seen Arnold for a week now. Well, besides the fact he keeps staring at me everywhere I go. Making matters worse, my face grows hot before I can even utter out an, "What are you looking at football head?" And even that comes out in a stutter._

I can't help but think he regrets it...

What you may ask? The whole 'Helga, I know how you feel about me, and I feel the same way' thing, and that kiss.  
Haaa, that kiss. How soft his lips were... So moist and succulent! And his body pressed against mine in the heart of that jungle.

Haaaaaaa...mmmm...

..Sorry, getting off topic. But anyways since then, it's been longing stares in class and on the bus, and sometimes before I can even ask him what he's looking at, he turns around quickly, like he has committed a crime or something! I mean criminy! If he has something to tell me than why not approach me?

She paused, tapping her purple pen against her bottom lip, as if thinking of more to say.

Then it dawned on her.

What if he did regret kissing her? What if it had only been that he'd been appreciative of her help? And was just in the heat of the moment?

She hated thinking about the thought. She'd long for the day in which Arnold loved her back.

She reached into her jumper and pulled out her locket. Giving it a longing stare, she felt her eyes begin to water, as she stared into the Arnold picture, with his half-lidded gaze.

"Oh Arnold," She spoke softly as a few tears flooded her vision. "Why don't you love me?"


	2. Arnold Snaps!

If there was no carpet in the room, Gerald's head would have been throbbing by the time he hit the floor.

Arnold rushed over to him. "Gerald? Gerald, wake up!" The football-head shook him.

I can't believe be fainted! Arnold thought. Fanning his best friend.

The african-american boy stirred. Shaken a little, "Uhh," He groaned opening his eyes slowly. Vision blurred for a few, but then cleared up to see his football headed, looking down at him with worried eyes.

"Oh, Arnold," He said sitting upward, holding his forehead. I had the most weirdest dream! I had a dream that you we were talking about our trip to San Lorenzo, and you were saying that you fell in love with Hel-"

Gerald paused his explanation, to see the look on Arnold's face as if saying, " That wasn't a dream, it actually happened." Rubbing his neck nervously, face beat-red, he chuckled nervously.

"He he. You see Gerald, about that-"

Gerald smacked his forehead, cutting him off. "Aw man! It wasn't a dream!"

Arnold could only watch as Gerald stood up, despite his now throbbing head. "I mean, out of every other girl you've ever liked, in the most meanest, nastiest-"

"Gerald?"

"- Most inconsiderate!-"

"Gerald?" Arnold tried to interrupt, getting a little angry.

"I mean come on! She's not even all that cute!-" Okay NOW THAT DREW THE LINE!

Suddenly Gerald was abruptly stopped outta his rant, when he felt a tug on his shirt. When he opened his eyes, he saw the closeness of Arnold's face. Arnold had grabbed him by the collar out of aggression!

"Now," The football headed boy seethed through his teeth, Gerald, if you don't stop I will have to do something I regret." He growled.

That alone made Gerald's jaw drop. Arnold getting aggressive? Did I make him that mad? Gerald thought still under the grip of his angry best friend.

Sure everybody knew Arnold was a black belt in karate, and was strong. But nobody ever expected that from him. Not including that time he abused his powers, but people saw him as the nice football headed young man who was a peace-maker and a good friend to all his peers.

I guess even the wrong words can make even the nicest people snap.

Gerald put up his hands in defense. "Whoa, whoa there buddy, I didn't mean it like that!"

Arnold growled in response, letting Gerald go, and let his best friend drop to the floor due to the force.

He walked over, and sat on the far end of his couch, arms crossed, facing away from Gerald, murmured out, "Well seems like that."

Gerald blinked a few times. Stood up, dusted himself off. And walked over to the couch as well, rubbing the back of his neck, nervously spoke. "Look Arnold, I'm sorry for what I said a minute ago. It s just, I find it weird okay? I mean, wouldn't you find it weird too if I had a bully who tortured me for years, and then I come back saying I loved her? I just need time to adapt, if you say you love her like you say you do, then, you'll just got to give me time to get used to it."

Arnold turned his head slightly to see him out of the corner of his eye.

Gerald continued, "But let s not let this little argument ruin our friendship, okay man?" He held his knuckle out.

Arnold fully turned then, looking down at it, and back up at Gerald, as if he was unsure.

"What do you say?" Gerald's voice broke through the silence. Arnold finally smiled, taking his apology to heart.

They did their secret handshake. "Thanks Gerald, I forgive you and we're good."

Gerald chuckled. "Good."

"There's just one more thing I'm still not sure about." Gerald spoke up.

"What's that?"

"Are you sure this isn't a dream, where you claim you love Helga?"

"GERALD!" 


	3. Confrontation?

'Hello, you have reached Phoebe Herydal. Sorry I can't reach the phone right now. But I promise if you leave your name and number, I'll get back to you immediately Goodbye! Helga groaned loudly.

"Hey Pheebs, listen, I know your down in Kentucky with your family, and sorry I keep calling, but I just really need your help! I need advice immediately! It s urgent! It s about-" She took a deep breath. "-it s about Ice Cream." She stated in a soft monotone.

"So please give me a call back. Miss you, come back home soon." She hung up the phone. And fell back into her pillows on her bed and just stared at the ceiling above her.

'Criminy! What am I going to do? I can't take it anymore! I gotta know if that kiss meant anything! Or if that was just straight gratitude, and because he already knows I love him. Maybe he was just grateful I found his parents. Probably wasn't anything special.' She mentally ranted.

"Either way I need to know." Helga finally said out loud. She knew what she had to do.

And with that, hopped off her bed, grabbed her locket off of her nightstand, and ran out her bedroom, slamming her door in the process.

~Arnold x Helga*~Arnold x Helga*~Arnold x Helga*~Arnold x Helga*~Arnold x Helga*~ Arnold x Helga*~ Arnold x Helga*~ Arnold x Helga*~ Arnold x Helga*~ Arnold x Helga*~ Arnold x Helga*~

"So are you gonna tell her, man?" Gerald Johnson asked, still sitting in the occupied space on his best friends' bed, sipping on a Yahoo Soda while asking.

Arnold's whole face heated up. "I really don't know." He answered honestly. "I mean, I know she loves me too. But where do we go from there? I know she already thinks I'm acting weird by staring at her when she's not looking. And I already know she thinks I just kissed her out of pity."

"Well, your gonna have to tell her soon enough. Unless, you never want to be with her."

"I know." Arnold sighed.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" Gerald complied.

Arnold head snapped in the direction of his best friend. Eyes as wide as he had seen a ghost or something. "What? Are you nuts?"

"None of the sorts. Just knowing how much you love this girl, needing to give you advice to go for it man! What are you scared for?"

"I-I'm not scared! But-!"

Once again Gerald cut him off. "But nothing man! Look," He had now walked over to put his palms on the football headed boy's shoulders. "I know you re scared. It s okay to feel scared. This is the first girl you ve had these feeling for, your losing it, doesn't know what to do, or say. That okay, Arnold! Everyone feels that way, when the person you like thinks they don't like you back. But you will never know how she feels unless you make the first move. You gotta do what your heart tells you. Follow your heart, I know your head's telling you something else, but your head is acting like a coward. Listen to what your heart is screaming out." He took his hands off Arnold's shoulder, and gave him a more serious look in the eye. "You re my best friend, and I just want you to be happy. Go for it. Make. A. Move."

Arnold stared at Gerald for a few more minutes at his pep talk. And gave a more determined look. "You know what? You re absolutely right! I need to stop being a coward and Helga how I feel!"

"Yeah! There you go, man!" Gerald smiled widely.

"Thanks Gerald! You re a real pal!" Arnold said hugging his best bud.

"Anytime man," Gerald said as he pulled back, and they did their secret handshake.

"Cool," Arnold said starting to head for the door.

"Hey, where ya going, Arnold?"

"To go tell Helga how I feel, of course!" And with that, he ran out of his bedroom.

Gerald crossed his arms. Determined smile on his face. "You did well, Gerald. You did well." He said out of admiration of himself. And with that, he walked out of Arnold's room, and to outside, seeing his best friend half way down the block already.

Bold kid. He chuckled. 


End file.
